Removing Barriers to Post Secondary Opportunities: Students and Staff (Healthy and Thriving Environments for Strong Connections and Strong Schools, Part 8)

While we focus on K-12 education at the Arizona K12 Center, today on 3Ps in a Pod, we're talking about a particular pathway for high school graduates. Today, Amanda Schmidt, a senior development director with NAU Advancement, joins us to talk about ways to remove or lower barriers to post-secondary education and how, as a community, we can all participate in helping others achieve success by lowering financial barriers.

Amanda shares about why she encourages students to lead with curiosity when considering post-secondary possibilities and the importance of reaching out to find out what support may exist. There are many avenues available to support students as they attempt to navigate funding and potential gaps in their funding. Amanda offers several suggestions for how students can fill these gaps while pursuing opportunities. 

As students are investigating what they may want to pursue post-secondary, Amanda suggests starting by being radically honest about what brings you joy and what ignites your passion. She also encourages potential students or program participants to explore the supports that may exist at the place or program you are exploring and ensure they also align with your values. 

On this podcast, listeners will learn more about the various arms of support designed to assist students pursuing a college or university path. Amanda explains how completing the FAFSA can be a way of sourcing needs-based funds but should also be a point of asking further questions. 

Amanda and 3Ps host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, also explore how we can be a part of the community that helps move future generations of students forward and what large impacts that community generosity can have on students.   

Continue your learning

After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore how you might support removing barriers to post-secondary opportunities. Find the reflection guide at this link.

Here are other related resources to today's episode:

• NAU Foundation: https://www.foundationnau.org

• Contact Amanda Schmidt about making a donation [email protected]

• NAU Financial Aid: https://nau.edu/office-scholarships-financial-aid/ 

Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.